Builders discover medieval well in city centre

A well believed to date back to medieval times has been discovered by builders while working at a department store in a North Yorkshire cathedral city.

The structure, with a depth of 42ft (12.8m), was found near the Marshall Way car park in Ripon, and is thought to be hundreds of years old.

It was recently uncovered by contractors during groundworks for a new courtyard at Halls of Ripon.

Robert Sterne, whose firm Sterne Properties is leading the works, said: "The plan is to put a secure reinforced glass cover on it and make the well a special feature."

Builder Paul Fountain carried out a full inspection of the well, assisted by his son Ollie and mountaineering instructor Pete Breckon.

He was assisted on his descent and ascent of the well by Breckon, who used climbing ropes to abseil down.

Fountain described it as a "mind-blowing" experience, believing himself to be the first person for hundreds of years to descend the well.

According to the builder, the stonework is in "excellent condition".

Ripon is one of the smallest cities in England, with St Wilfrid founding a stone monastery there in the 7th Century.

Its extensive history is reflected in its buildings and traditions, one of which is an ancient ritual of "setting the watch".

Every night, a horn is blown at the four corners of the Obelisk in the market square, a ceremony that has taken place for more than 1,000 years.

Richard Taylor, chair of Ripon Civic Society, described the recently unearthed well as an "impressive" discovery.

Other medieval wells have been found in Ripon, he said, but he wasn't aware of any others in the heart of the city centre.

"We've got things like St Wilfrid's Well down below the Spa Gardens, but that's more of a well coming out of the rockface rather than a deep well," he said.

"I know such things did exist because obviously it was always useful to have a source of water that was not dependent on a river or on collecting rainwater."

The department store is continuing its £400,000 revamp, with Halls of Ripon director Barry Cooper describing the well as "a welcome bonus".

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